The 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors officially retired the #6 jersey of NBA Legend and Bay Area native Bill Russell by unveiling a banner at Chase Center during a pregame ceremony prior to tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics.
Russell’s daughter, Karen Kenyatta Russell, joined NBA Hall of Famer and Warriors Advisor Rick Welts along with Warriors Legend Tom Meschery in unveiling the banner prior to tipoff of tonight’s game. Russell’s #6 jersey is the seventh jersey number retired by the Warriors, joining Wilt Chamberlain (#13), Meschery (#14), Alvin Attles (#16), Chris Mullin (#17), Rick Barry (#24) and Nate Thurmond (#42).
Definition Series: Bill Russell
On August 11, 2022, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced that they would honor the life and legacy of Russell, an 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer, by permanently retiring his uniform number throughout the league. The iconic Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer is the first player to have his number retired across the NBA. Russell’s jersey number, which he wore for his entire 13-season career with the Celtics from 1956-69, will not be issued again by any NBA team to any player. Players who currently wear No. 6 are grandfathered.
Prior to his NBA career, Russell attended McClymonds High School in Oakland before embarking upon a standout collegiate career at the University of San Francisco, where he helped the Dons to back-to-back national championships in 1955 and 1956.
In addition to an NBA-record 11 titles in 13 seasons, Russell’s professional accomplishments include five NBA Most Valuable Player awards, 12 NBA All-Star selections and 11 All-NBA Team honors. He was named to all four NBA anniversary teams (25th, 35th, 50th and 75th) and inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. In 2010, Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his athletic feats and lifelong commitment to social justice. The Celtics retired his # 6 jersey in 1972.